Thursday, May 26, 2016

600 Miles of Remembrance: Drivers Honor Fallen Military

Below are the second ten of forty fallen to be honored:

No. 14 car: Master Sgt. Paul D. Karpowich, U.S. Army

Date of birth: July 31, 1974

Hometown: Freeland, Pa.

Date of death: Dec. 21, 2004, Iraq

Note: A graduate of the Army Sniper School, Karpowich is the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal among many others. He was also a family friend of No. 14 crewchief Mike Bugarewicz.

No. 18 car: Pfc. Robert Stephan Underwood, U.S. Army

Note: Underwood was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf cluster with "V" for Valor, and the Air Service Medal among several others.

*****

No. 19 car: Capt. Edmond Jablonsky Jr., U.S. Army

Date of birth: 1942

Hometown: Pasadena, Texas

Date of death: May 3, 1968, Vietnam

Note: Jablonsky served with Carl Edwards' best friends' father.

*****

No. 20 car: Pfc. Christopher Neal White, U.S. Marine Corps

Date of birth: N/A

Hometown: Elizabethtown, Ky.

Date of death: June 20, 2006, Iraq

*****

No. 21 car: Signalman Seaman Cherone L. Gunn, U.S. Navy

Date of birth: Feb. 14, 1978

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.

Date of death: Oct. 12, 2000, U.S.S. Cole

Note: Gunn was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

*****

No. 22 car: Spc. Cindy Beaudoin, U.S. Army

Date of birth: July 20, 1971

Hometown: Plainfield, Conn.

Date of death: Feb. 28, 1991, Operation Desert Storm

Note: Beaudoin served in the 142nd Medical Company of the Connecticut National Guard

*****

No. 23 car: Lt. Col. Paul Keith Mikeal, U.S. Air Force

Date of birth: July 15, 1969

Hometown: Mooresville, N.C.

Date of death: July 1, 2012, South Dakota

Note: Mikeal served on active duty for 10 years before joining the Air National Guard, making five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal.